Edgepro Apex = OMG!

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Just curious Jim but are those edges what you'd call "Air Bleeding Sharp?" :D :thumbup:
 
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cziv said:
Just curious Jim but are those edges what you'd call "Air Bleeding Sharp?" :D :thumbup:
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I think....
Someone using an EdgePro, with the proper stones, tapes, and strops, and a light enough touch, (perhaps it will need to be a small woman to do this...) will be able to produce an edge that will cut its way into the 4th dimension! :thumbup:

Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
I think....
Someone using an EdgePro, with the proper stones, tapes, and strops, and a light enough touch, (perhaps it will need to be a small woman to do this...) will be able to produce an edge that will cut its way into the 4th dimension! :thumbup:

Stitchawl
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Oh, I've been there and came back...it's not that great over there. :(
 
Just got my edgepro a couple of days ago. I'm getting close to Ankerson but need a bit more practice. The polish is unbelievable. I've found I have to raise the angle up just a bit when going to the polishing tapes. Anyone else?
 
CallsThunder said:
Just got my edgepro a couple of days ago. I'm getting close to Ankerson but need a bit more practice. The polish is unbelievable. I've found I have to raise the angle up just a bit when going to the polishing tapes. Anyone else?
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You do need to take into consideration the thickness of the tape blanks as compared with the thickness of the stones. I even created some special blanks to hold strops, adding several layers of leather under the strop to match the height of the stones.

I also found I got a MUCH better polish using a LOT of water with the tapes. I squirt them down between every stroke, and for the final few strokes add no pressure other than the weight of the stone arm. Using a good leather stropping leather as the very final step creates a mirrored finish you could use for the next Hubble telescope!

Stitchawl
 
CallsThunder said:
Just got my edgepro a couple of days ago. I'm getting close to Ankerson but need a bit more practice. The polish is unbelievable. I've found I have to raise the angle up just a bit when going to the polishing tapes. Anyone else?
Click to expand...

stitchawl said:
You do need to take into consideration the thickness of the tape blanks as compared with the thickness of the stones. I even created some special blanks to hold strops, adding several layers of leather under the strop to match the height of the stones.

I also found I got a MUCH better polish using a LOT of water with the tapes. I squirt them down between every stroke, and for the final few strokes add no pressure other than the weight of the stone arm. Using a good leather stropping leather as the very final step creates a mirrored finish you could use for the next Hubble telescope!

Stitchawl
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I always Sharpie my blade again to make sure I am hitting the whole edge when I change stones because of the differences in thickness.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I agree about the sharpee check. I found that I would get a mirror polish without being able to easily slice paper. A quick sharpee check showed I was close but not on the edge. Once I moved to the edge I was cutting well.
 
When people use the polishing tapes.

Are people pushing up (Like when they sharpen with the normal stones?), or are they lightly pulling back onto the edge of the blade?
 
I don't know about other folks, but I draw the tapes from spine to edge, just as in stropping. When I try to go edge-to-spine it usually cuts my tapes, even with absolutely no extra weight on the stone arm.

Stitchawl
 
I had the same issue of cutting the polishing tapes up so badly that they became almost useless... not to mention scratching the heck out of some of my blades. I solved that problem by buying some Chosera water stones (1k, 3k, 5k and 10k) that are made for the EdgePro machine. Now all my knives have a mirror polish finished edge and no more unsightly scratches.


/dusty
 
I use the tapes just like the stones. I don't use much pressure and if I find I am cutting the tapes I run them away from the edge a few times to clean it up like the video shows (like using a strop). The tapes worried me at first...I thought I would just cut them up, but they hold up fine. There is no doubt though that the tapes really do a super job at polishing.
 
Got them from Chefknivestogo.com... they carry a full complement of EdgePro products. Also Jendeindustries.com sells even more EdgePro products.

Hope this helps.


/dusty
 
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I havn't cut a single tape yet and I use them just like the stones, with tons of water, i'll end up doing one pass and load it up with water again, and almost lift the tape off of the edge, using absolutely no pressure at all.
 
I have not gone back to the instruction video to check but I am almost positive the he says NOT to wet the tapes??

I have been using mine dry without any problems but may check out the stones for polishing as well, they sound like a good idea
 
giant1 said:
I have not gone back to the instruction video to check but I am almost positive the he says NOT to wet the tapes??

I have been using mine dry without any problems but may check out the stones for polishing as well, they sound like a good idea
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I just watched Ben's YouTube videos... First time since I bought my Apex many years ago. Interesting to see that the device itself has changed a bit... I guess mine is an antique! :grumpy:

Anyway, yes, he does say to use very little water with the tapes, but I got the impression that he meant this because the adhesive qualities would deteriorate.

For my sharpening,I use a LOT of water when I use the tapes. I began doing that after watching some master sword sharpeners in Seki City putting finishing edges on some high dollar tantos. They throw a handful of water onto their stones after every 2-3 strokes.

I've never noticed any problems with the tapes coming lose, and I found I got better results when sloshing water over the tapes between almost every stroke. I use the tapes backwards, in a stropping motion, and of course never cut a tape that way. But I also use other higher grit films that I cut to size and glue onto a blank using white paper glue sticks. That glue washes off easily with water but when used on the film, doesn't come lose while sharpening, but peels off easily when finished, and any residue washes right off with just water.

Stitchawl
 
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